Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 17:7
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
7. they have known ] Rather, they know: literally, ‘they have recognised, come to know.’ Comp. Joh 5:42, Joh 6:69, Joh 8:52; Joh 8:55, Joh 14:9.
whatsoever thou hast given ] Both His doctrine and His mission, as the next verse explains. The whole of Christ’s work of redemption in word and act was in its origin and still is (present tense) of God.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They have known – They have been taught that and have believed it.
Hast given me – This refers, doubtless, to the doctrine of Christ, Joh 17:8. They are assured that all my instructions are of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
They have thus far made proficiency in the doctrine which I have taught them; that though the Pharisees say, that I cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils, yet they believe, and are persuaded, that the doctrine which I have taught them is from thee, and that it is by a Divine power that I have wrought those miracles which I have wrought; and so I have manifested thy name unto them, and they have received the manifestation and revelation of thy name unto them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Now they have known,…. The Syriac version reads it , “I have known”; and so the Persic and Gothic versions, contrary to most copies and other versions, which read, as we render, “they have known”, that is, the disciples and apostles of Christ:
that all things whatsoever thou hast given me; all temporal things, the world and the fulness of it; all power in heaven, and in earth, or a power of disposing of all things for his own service, as Mediator; all spiritual things, the covenant of grace, with all its blessings and promises, the Spirit of God, with all his, gifts and graces, a fulness of all grace for his people, yea, eternal life and glory; and everything relating to his mediatorial office and character, power to perform miracles, knowledge and wisdom to preach the Gospel, strength to procure the salvation of his people; every thing to qualify him for the government of church and the judgment of the world:
are of thee; owing to his good will and pleasure, by his appointment and constitution, as an instance of love to him, and that he might, as man, and Mediator, be honoured, and in all things have the pre-eminence, and all for the good of his chosen ones: now the knowledge of this by his disciples, must greatly confirm the mission of Christ, render him very suitable to them, cause them to entertain a greater esteem for him, lead them into some admiring views of the grace of God, in giving so much into Christ’s hands for them, and engage them the more cheerfully to obey his commands.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now they know ( ). Perfect active indicative third plural like above. They have come to know, not as fully as they felt (16:30), and yet in a real sense.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Now they have known,” (nun egnokan) “Now and for the future they have known,” and have a continuing awareness or knowledge, now confirmed by experience, 2Pe 1:16. The more light one obeys the more is revealed to him.
2) “That all things whatsoever thou hast given me,” (hoti panta hosa dedokas moi) “That all things that is as many as you have given to me,” honor, and glory, and power, in fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies and performing the miracles that He performed and doing the teaching that He did, 2Pe 1:17-18; Joh 20:30-31; Joh 5:26; Joh 5:36-37; Joh 6:39; Joh 8:28.
3) “Are of thee.” (para sou eisin) “They are (or exist) from alongside you,” from your authorization, 1Co 8:6. They knew that He, His miracles, and His teachings were from the Father, therefore they should honor His Father in their mission He was giving over to them, Joh 20:21; Act 1:8; Mat 28:18-20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. Now they have known. Here our Lord expresses what is the chief part in faith, which consists in our believing in Christ in such a manner, that faith does not rest satisfied with beholding the flesh, but perceives his Divine power. For when he says, They have known that all things which thou hast given me are from thee, he means, that believers feel that all that they possess is heavenly and divine. And, indeed, if we do not perceive God in Christ, we must remain continually in a state of hesitation.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Now they have known . . .Better, Now they do know. The word means They have come to know, and do know. (Comp. Note on Joh. 16:30.) This is the result of their spiritual trainingin its fulness, indeed, still future, but regarded as in the immediate present.
All things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.We ought to assign no limit to the extent of these words. The lesson He had been teaching them, and which they were about fully to know, was that the whole life of Christthe words He had spoken (Joh. 12:49), the works He had done (Joh. 5:36)was a manifestation of the Father.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. All things The entire furnishings for his divine mission. The apostles had learned and recognized that they were not fabricated by Jesus, but given from God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Now they know that all things whatever you have given me are from you. For the words which you gave me I have given them, and they received them and knew of a truth that I came forth from you, and they believed that you sent me.”
‘Now they know.’ This especially refers to Joh 16:29-30. They have professed to this understanding and He is satisfied that it is true in so far as was possible at this stage. They implicitly believe that what He has taught and revealed is of the Father, and they have received His words and accept their source in the One Who sent Him. Indeed they see clearly that Jesus was sent by the Father. They are thus worthy recipients of His favour, not because they deserve it, but because they have believed in the One Whom He sent, and have believed that He sent Him.
‘The words which you gave me –.’ Jesus’ words are words given to Him by the Father. In Deu 18:18 God promised to Moses, “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” While originally these words simply conveyed the promise of a continual line of prophets for each generation, in Jewish tradition it was interpreted as signifying a Prophet who was expected in the end times. It thus finds fulfilment in Jesus Whose words were the very words of God and were passed on to the people of God. That they were treasured comes out in the epistles and in the fact that they are recorded in the Gospels.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 17:7-8. Now they have known, &c. “These men are fully persuaded, that the commission whereby I act, the doctrine of salvation which I teach, the miracles which I perform, and the authority with which I am clothed, as Mediator, are all derived from thee. In this indeedthey have acted upon the surest evidence; for I have revealed to them those mysteries of the kingdom, relating to my person, offices, and benefits, which thou hast authorized me to make known for their instruction and edification; and they, under my grace, have cordially entertained them with faith and love, and accordingly have been well assured in their own minds and consciences, that I, as a divine Person, came into this world from thee; (ch. Joh 16:30.) and they have savingly believed in me as the true Messiah whom thou hast sent.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
Ver. 7. Now they have known, &c. ] That the gospel is a plot of God’s own contriving, and no device of man, as that Evangelium regni Gospel of power, was, set out by the family of love; and those fanatics mentioned by Irenaeus, that were besotted with an opinion of themselves, that they accounted their own writings to be gospels. In the year 1220, certain monks at Paris set out a gospel full of all filthiness and blasphemy, naming it Evangelium aeternum, the eternal Gospel. And in the book called Conformitates S. Francisci, made in the year 1389, it is written, that the same book is better than the gospel, and St Francis set in Lucifer’s chair above angels. The Council of Constance comes in with a non obstante against Christ’s institution, withholding the cup from the laity. And when the pope sets forth any bulls, commonly he concludes thus; Non obstantibus coustitutionibus et ordinationibus Apostolicis, caeterisque contrariis quibuscunque, and the pope’s interpretation of Scripture, be it what it will, seem it never so contrary to the Scripture, is ipsissimum Dei verbum, the very word of God, saith Hosius.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. ] . , ‘My whole words and works:’ , as contemplated in their separate meanings and testimonies: q. d. ‘are all from Thee:’ the collective assertion see at Joh 17:10 .
On this their conviction, which however had not reached its ripeness yet, see ch. Joh 16:30 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 17:7 . As the result of this keeping of God’s truth, , “they have now” in presence of this final revelation “known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given me are from Thee”. The object of the manifestation in Christ has been attained: the Father has been seen in and through Him. All the wisdom and power of Christ have been recognised as from God.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
of = from. Greek. para. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7.] . , My whole words and works: , as contemplated in their separate meanings and testimonies: q. d. are all from Thee:-the collective assertion see at Joh 17:10.
On this their conviction, which however had not reached its ripeness yet, see ch. Joh 16:30.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 17:7. , all things) This is taken up in the following verse, the words, which Thou gavest Me.- , of or from Thee) and therefore true and solid.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 17:7
Joh 17:7
Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee:-These, through the teachings of Jesus, had come to know that what Jesus taught was from God the Father. Jesus taught only as God gave him to teach.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
they: Joh 7:16, Joh 7:17, Joh 14:7-10, Joh 14:20, Joh 16:27-30
are: Joh 17:10, Joh 8:28, Joh 10:29, Joh 10:30, Joh 12:49, Joh 12:50, Joh 16:15
Reciprocal: Mat 13:23 – good Joh 17:8 – and have Eph 5:26 – by
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
The apostles were made to know this by the fact that Jesus constantly kept his Father’s name before them. By such a procedure, they accounted for the forcefulness of the work of their Master by considering the might of God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 17:7. Now have they learned to know that all things whatsoever thou gavest me are from thee. These words do more than state that the disciples knew this fact. They include a far deeper meaning, intended to bring out more fully the position of the disciples as the representatives of Jesus. For what was it that He knew? What was the element of relation to the Father in which he lived? It was that all He had was from the Father; that all He was the reflex of the Father; that His words, His works, His whole activity, were the Fathers; that He came forth from the Father, and was sent by Him into the world (chaps. Joh 3:13, Joh 6:46, Joh 7:29, Joh 3:34, Joh 13:3). This was the consciousness which especially distinguished Him in the fulfilling of His mission; and now that consciousness has passed over into them.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. The faithfulness of Christ in revealing the whole will of his Father to his disciples.
2. The proficiency of his disciples in the school of Christ: They knew all the things which Christ had told them; namely, that whatsoever he had, was given him of the Father, and that he had these things from him to be a mediator.
Learn hence, that Christ hath approved himself a faithful prophet to his church; a faithful messenger from his Father to his people, in that he hath added nothing to his message, nor taken nothing from it.
2. That it is our duty to know and believe on Christ, as the only messenger and mediator sent of God: Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
There was much that the Eleven did not yet understand, but they did believe that Jesus had come from God and that His utterances (Gr. rhemata) were God’s words. Commendably they accepted Jesus’ teachings even though they did not understand them fully, and what they understood they believed. Jesus’ unusual phrasing stresses His unity with the Father.
"As long as we stay with the figure of the Galilean Jesus (perhaps romanticizing over the beauty of his holiness and lowliness) so long we miss what really matters. What is central is that all that we see in him is of God. It is not so much the Man of Galilee as the eternal God on whom our attention should rest." [Note: Morris, p. 641.]